1. Field of the Invention
The novel system is in the field of account transaction processing and provides an administered money fund banking system that is integrated with an insured deposit account.
2. State of the Art
The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (“FDIC”) is a federal governmental entity that provides insurance for deposits in most banks and savings institutions in the United States. Bank deposits are insured by the FDIC's Bank Insurance Fund (“BIF”) and savings institutions' deposits are insured by the FDIC's Savings Association Insurance Fund (“SAIF”). The rules governing insurance of deposits of institutions insured by the BIF and the SAIF are the same. The FDIC bases insurance coverage on the concept of ownership rights and capacities: finds funds held in different ownership categories are insured separately from each other, and funds of the same ownership but held in different accounts are subsumed under the same insurance coverage. The amount of insurance covered provided to depositors of each institution insured by BIF and SAIF is the same: $100,000.00 to the owner(s) of the funds in the account(s), including principal and interest.
Title 12, Part 329, of the Code of Federal Regulations (“CFR”) specifies that “no bank shall, directly or indirectly, by any device whatsoever, pay interest on any demand deposit.”(12 C.F.R. § 329.2.) A “deposit” is any money put into a savings account, a checking account, or time account such as a certificate of deposit. A “demand” account is one from which the owner of the account can demand that funds be drawn and paid elsewhere, either to another account (of the same or a different owner) or to a third party. These payments are typically made via a bank draft or check, or a credit or debit card. A account different than a demand account is an account where all or a fixed amount of the principal must be maintained in the account for a period of time to achieve the particular benefits offered by that account. As stated in this section of the CFR, a “demand deposit” includes any deposit in account under which terms the depositor is authorized to make, during any month or statement cycle of at least four weeks, more than six transfers by means of a preauthorized or automatic transfer of telephone (including data transmission) agreement, order or instruction, which transfers are made to another account of the depositor at the same bank, to the bank itself, or to a third party provided that such an account will be deemed a demand deposit if more than three of the six authorized transfers are authorized to be made by check, draft, debit card or similar order made by the depositor. (12 C.F.R. § 329.1(b)(3).) On the other hand, withdrawals from a deposit account are not deemed to be included within the six transfers permitted for a nondemand account when the withdrawals are made by mail, messenger, telephone (via check mailed to the depositor), automated teller machine, or in person. In essence, unless the funds of a deposit are held in a NOW account (18 U.S.C. 1832(a)), an account in which a depositor has the ability to make at least six transfers will be deemed a demand account and no interest will be payable on the funds therein. Therefore, owners of demand accounts are denied interest on their funds.